Japan’s parliament has passed two security laws to amend its pacifist constitution framed after WWII to allow its troops to fight abroad.

The bills already have been approved by Parliament’s lower house and it was voted into law by the Upper Chamber on 19 September 2015.

Key facts

These laws are considered as major defence policy shift of Japan that could let troops fight overseas for the first time since 1945.

They also in turn loosen the limits of the pacifist constitution on the military and allow Japan to get involved in collective self-defence.

The major defence policy shift of Japan comes in the light of China’s increasing military strength and assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region.

Earlier Article 9 of Japan’s Pacifist Constitution renounced of war and clearly mentioned Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right and will not use military force as means for settling international disputes.

However, new security laws allow Japanese troops to fight abroad in case of collective self-defence or Japan’s survival is threatened. It will also give fillip to defence expenditure and industry of Japan which is presently 9th largest country in terms of defence expenditure.